Ankur Rathee, who is seen in the series Reeta Sanyal, believes the universe works on the law of abundance
Nonika Singh
On screen in the Disney+ Hotstar series Reeta Sanyal, they might be competing for the same woman. But off screen, the bonhomie of Ankur Rathee and Manik Papneja is more than palpable. As Manik plays Watson to Adah Sharma’s titular part of a Sherlock Holmes, a lawyer-detective, and Ankur steps into the shoes of a cop and provides romantic interest, they are not just gung-ho about the series but also about each other’s talent.
A mutual admiration club? An amusing one too, as Ankur puts it, “As a rule, we take our jobs too seriously and get involved in outperforming each other. But Manik has this felicity to bring the fun part of being an actor to life.” With many scenes together, there was no feeling of insecurity when they were on the sets. Rather, Ankur, seen in the popular series Undekhi in which Surya Sharma walked away with lion’s share of praise for his portrayal of Rinku paaji, is not in the least bit envious of his co-actors.
On the contrary, when he observes the career graph of his colleagues, be it Triptii Dimri’s meteoric rise or others, he is heartened by the fact that if they can reach these heights it means, “Someone else’s success is further proof that it’s possible. Insecurity comes from the scarcity concept. The universe works on greater law of abundance. I would be worried if no one was succeeding.”
How the Princeton University graduate found himself on this road and landed in the world of entertainment is a long story. Put succinctly, its passion that made him quit a cushy job in the US to pursue his dream.Has it been worth the while? Indeed, the role that would make him a household name is still awaited. But with a variety of characters behind him, from a political aide in The Tashkent Files to a gay activist in Inside Edge to a lover boy in Four More Shots Please!, whenever and wherever he goes, he is instantly recognisable. And a greater feeling of elation it is for, “I don’t know which character is resonating with which fan.” What makes him say yes to a part is certainly not its length. Else he would not have agreed to a woman-centric Reeta Sanyal. He wants to be part of stories that make people, smile, laugh, cry and reconsider life choices, and, above all, it is seen by many.
Does it hurt when he gets a meaty role as in Shehzada and is lauded too, but the film bombs at the box-office? He says, “I am not in a position where I have to shoulder the burden of a movie’s hit or flop status.” Cinema, he believes, is a collaborative effort. “And it’s only the nature of the beast that actors end up being its face and people confuse an actor with the character.”
For those making the same mistake and believing his Daman in Undekhi has some sort of semblance with his real journey of a man coming back home from foreign lands, he quips, “Oh, that’s a very broad stroke. I didn’t grow up with guns in my house, will never navigate my relationship with my wife as he does with Teji. But, yes, we all learn from our reel-life characters and use our real experiences in acting.”
Whether OTT medium is still as exciting when he started out, he agrees that the bubble may have burst to some extent. But, he also reasons, “It’s not as if outside of the web content we are making superlative cinema.” Besides, even today there are enough choices and parts in web shows which can show the way to actors like him, who don’t come from a filmy background.
Sans a godfather in the industry, in Mumbai he did find support and encouragement in fellow Haryanvi Randeep Hooda, ‘a phenomenal actor’. He explains, “He is a Jat and so am I, and as a community we do look out for each other.”
More than eager to help aspirants, however, he cautions his brethren from Jatland, “Come to tinsel town only if you just can’t do anything else. If this art form is what you love the most in your life and can’t live without, only then join this profession.” That explains his reason for turning an actor, but what possibly can be ours for watching Reeta Sanyal?
In unison he and Manik chip in, “For, stylistically, it’s like no other, wacky and fun, imagination fuelled fiction; it has all the masala of a Bollywood film packed in a series.” Quite a team they are, even when they are batting for the woman in absentia, the lead Adah Sharma? In the series based on Amit Khan’s eponymous character of book series, Adah’s Reeta might be looking out for bad guys, but in real life she sure has good ones for company.
